Pochaiv Lavra refutes media lies about monastery's brotherhood and shrines

Pochaiv Lavra. Photo: Pochaiv Lavra's Facebook

The Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra issued an official refutation of inaccurate media publications, pointing to the distortion of information about the monastery's brotherhood and the procedures for auditing the monastery's property.

Representatives of the monastery drew attention to publications in which data about the status of certain individuals had been distorted. Journalists presented the statements of random people as the position of the Pochaiv Lavra. A pilgrim from the Ternopil region named Maria was referred to in the publications as a "resident of Pochaiv," while Hieromonk Sebastian, who had come to the monastery as a pilgrim from Odesa, was called a "Pochaiv Lavra monk." The monastery emphasized that the status of a pilgrim does not make a person a resident of the monastery and does not give him the right to speak on behalf of the entire brotherhood.

Commenting on reports about the "disappearance of icons," the monastery representatives explained that the absence of any item during a particular inventory does not automatically indicate theft. Establishing the truth requires examining transfer and acceptance records, the legal status of the property, and the conditions of its storage.

At the same time, the monastery confirmed its full readiness for a legal investigation into the fate of each item and pointed to its lawful right to distinguish between state property and the property of the religious community itself.

The Lavra representatives described the accusations of "resistance" to state authorities as a distortion of the legal discussion. The monastery recalled that in June 2024, a commission from the Ministry of Culture, the reserve, and the fire service was granted unimpeded access to all facilities, as recorded in the inspectors' final report dated June 29, 2024. Filing legal appeals, petitions, and defending lawful rights within the legal framework does not constitute opposition to the state.

The Lavra also responded to claims about allegedly "illegal" work on the facade of the Dormition Cathedral. The protective measures were carried out due to the technical condition of the structures, deep cracks, and the risk of the monument's destruction. The monastery noted that the mere fact of registering criminal proceedings does not establish anyone's guilt, and that the monastery is prepared to provide all necessary documentation to the competent authorities.

"We ask only one thing: do not substitute established facts with assumptions, do not attribute the words of random visitors to the Lavra, and do not declare a person or religious organization guilty before the legally prescribed procedures have been completed," the Pochaiv Lavra reps stated.

The monastery emphasized that their primary calling remains monastic life, prayer, and the preservation of shrines. "Disputed matters must be resolved not in the language of hostility, but in the language of facts, law, and mutual respect," the monastery concluded.

Previously, the UOJ reported that four cases against the UOC are being heard in Ternopil region courts.

Read also